Automatic track-gage.



J. M. REED.

AUTOMATIC TRACK GAGE.

APPLICATION man JUNE n. 1913.

1,149,540. PatentedAug. 10, 1915.

COLUMBIA human APB CO-IWASI'HNGTONI D- C.

ED STATES PAT N OFFICE.

JOHN M. REED, or OILCENTER, CALIFORNIA.

.AUTOIVIATIC TRACK-GAGE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN M. REED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oilcenter, in the county of Kern, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Track-Gages; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7 V

This invention relates to track gages, and it more particularly relates to an improved form of traveling track gage for registering unevennesses in railroad track.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplified form of track gage which may be attached to any railroad car or truck, and which registers the track variations on a scaled plate attached to one gage finger or indexelement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a track gage of this character which is light, comparatively inexpensive and thoroughly efficient.

Other objects and advantages will be recited hereinafter and in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which supplement this specification, Figure 1 is a rear elevation view of a railway truck having my improved gage attached thereto, the index fingers or pointers being slightly separated. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the axle, the sleeve being in section. Fig. 3v

is a view of my improved track gage, the pointed ends of the index fingers being in lapped relation, and Fig. & is a plan view of a section of the truck platform, illustrating my improved track gage partly in full lines and partly in broken lines, and, Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electric connections whereby the severalcircuits are closed.

Referring to these drawings, in which similar reference characters correspond with similar parts, throughout the several views, the device is illustrated in connection with a truck of ordinary construction, for the purpose of showing the'application of the invention. The gage consists of a pair of axially alined axles 5 and 6, each carrying a track wheel 7 having flanges 8. These axles have their inner ends spaced apart sufficiently to receive a spring 9 which normally holds the flanges 8 against the contiguous track rails. A. sleeve 10, incloses Specification of Letters Patent. Patented A 0"; 10 1915 Application filed June 11, 1913.. Serial No. 773,096.

- separated to the full limit allowed by the track rails and the flanges 8.

The shafts or axles 5 and 6 together with the sleeve 10 constitute an extensible axle,

and each of these sections 5 and 6 is provided with a reduced portion 12 having resultant shoulders 13, and the reduced portions are slidably mounted in bearings 14, while the shoulders 18 constitute abutments for limiting the sliding movement of the shaft sections through said bearings. The extensible axle does not rotate in the bearings 14 but the wheels 7 rotate on the ends of said axle.

The bearings 14 are connected with the truck by means of hangers 15, each of these hangers being connected with the truck floor by means of bolts 16.

Each of the axle sections is provided with a vertical aperture 17 in which is secured a standard or gage finger 18, each gage finger having its upper portion extended horizontally and terminating in an arrow head or pointed index element 19. The truck floor 20 is apertured or these apertures extend the respective gage fingers 18 which have their upper portions alined with each other and have their heads 19 in proximity with each other and are normally spaced apart at 22. A scaled plate or bar 23 is secured to the truck floor 20 and is normally centered under the gap 22 between the elements 19, so that when the middle line of the scale 23 is in registry with either of the elements 19 it indicates that that side of the track is properly positioned slotted at 21, and through on the railroad bed. In other words, when and proper position, the flange 8 coactswith said rail for holding the element 19 in its normal position; but if the rail is bent outward at any point, the arrow head or indicator element 19 will be spaced ap art lfromthe middle line of the scale. On the other hand, if the right hand track is bent inward at any point, the flange 8 of the right hand wheel will be forced inward, so as to press the shaft element 5 against the action of the spring 9 and cause said shaft section to slide through the hanger l4 and to move the indicator finger toward the left, so that it will overlap the middle line of the scale. Now,

it will be seen that in case" both track rails should be inwardly curved atopposite points, the arrow heads 19 would overlap each other and this overlapping of the indicator elements 19 would also occur in case either of the wheels 7-should strike an obstacle with suflicient force to press the indlcator' element inward asufficlent distance. These indicator fingers are prefer' ably of steel or other springy material, so

that they will readilyyield when overlapping each other and will 'retur'n to the plane in which they'nornia'lly lie:

Secured under the platform QOis a re ceptacle 24 containing several electric dry cells 25 connected by means" of w-ir es'toopposed push buttons 26 which are yieldably held in horizontal orifices 26 formed in the side walls of vertical slots or apertures 21 of the platform 20 by coil springs 26 disposed in said horizontal orifices. In case tirely out of the orifices 26 by pins 26'dis-' posed in slots-26".'

It will be seen that the scale'23and inclicator elements 19 are in" plain} and unobstructed view, where tl1e op'e'rat0r'may easily observe every movement of said indicator fingers and their relation to the scale i and this ma'y'be done-while the operator of the truckis engagedimpro elling the latter, Moreover, the scale is in such'position as to receive the greatest amount of light, for

rendering the scale lines" visible and distinct. It will be seen that'in case=the'operators attention be momentarily taken from the indicator fingers and the gage should travel over a portion ofthe track wherethe' railroad railswere not properly positioned on the railroad bed, the action of the gage finger against the push buttons, automatically ringing the gong or alarm 27, will warn the operatorof such track deficiency. It will be seen that I have provided a device of this'character whichis fully capable of attaining the desired objects, in a thoroughly practical and efiicient' manner.

I do not limit my invention to the exact details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herewith illustratedand described, but my invention may only be limited by a reasonable interpretation of the claims.

I claim: K

1. In combination with a truck having an apertured floor a scale between the apertures, an extensible axle under the truck floor consisting of relatively movable sections, hangers secured to the truck floor and provided with bearings in which the axle sections are respectivelynon-rotatably mounted and adapted to be moved axially, flanged t'rack' wheels on' the" axle sections respectively, and indicator fingers extendin'g upw ard through the apertured truck floor and thence connected to the axlesections respectively and extending horizontally'over said scale;

2;- In combination with an apertured floor, a horizontal scale mounted on said floor and normally held midway between the apertures of the floor, a pair of nonrotatable and axially movable axle sections each having a'track wheel thereon, hangers connecting said axle sections to the floor, a sleeve" having one end engaged with one of the axle sections and having an end of the otheraxle section snugly and movably seated therein, a spring: within the sleeve and bearing against the adjacent ends of the axle sections, and index fingers connected to the axlesections respectively and extending upward through the apertures of the floor and thence extending laterally over the horizontal scale.

3. track gage consisting of a pair of shaft sections, each carrying a' track wheel and the sections being inaxial alinement with and adapted for axial movement-relative'to each other, an index finger extending upward from each shaft section and then parallel to eachsection and each terminating in' a" pointed index element, and a scale having its middle line normally in a vertical plane coinciding with the apexes of the converging index elements, said index fingers being of springy material, so that said conver-glng index elements-may slide upon each other into overlapped relation:

In testimony whereof, I aifix my signature, inthe presence of two witnesses.

JOHN M. REED.

Witnesses:

S.- REED, W. R. HIRES.'

(lopies' of' this patent'may be otitaiiied' for five centscach, by addressing: the" "Commissioner 01- Patents,

Washington,--D. G. 

